NASA has chosen SpaceX to bring home two U.S. astronauts who had to extend their stay at the International Space Station (ISS) due to significant issues with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsule. The decision marks a notable shift in NASA’s spaceflight strategy as Boeing’s spacecraft will return to Earth without a crew on board.
Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams were originally supposed to return to Earth shortly after their arrival at the ISS on June 6. However, due to ongoing technical problems with Boeing’s spacecraft, their mission duration has been extended to eight months. They will now travel back aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, scheduled to launch in late September. This means they will not return until February 2025, several months later than initially planned.
NASA’s decision was announced during a news conference on Saturday. Bill Nelson, NASAAdministrator, emphasized that the choice to leave the astronauts aboard the ISS …